Mass Audubon's Bird-a-thon 2020

Joppa Flats Education Center

Dear friends,

On Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16, all of us at Mass Audubon celebrate Bird-a-thon, a rite of spring and always the most important fundraising event at Joppa Flats. Starting with the first Joppa Flats Bird-a-thon in 1997, generous donors have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund on-going operations, purchase new vans, and provide free community programs and outreach events.

This year we face a special challenge. The interruption of our work, due to our obligation to support public health during the COVID-19 outbreak, forced Joppa Flats and other Mass Audubon sanctuaries to cancel most, if not all, of our late winter and spring programs. These cancellations have meant a significant reduction in revenue that keeps us going. This is not to mention how very much we miss being in nature with each other! Knowing how greatly we depend on our programs to engage people in the important work of sustaining the natural world, as well as to support Joppa Flats and our message, it's painful to see how badly our mission is being impacted.

But, you can help. Of all the many years of Bird-a-thons, by far, this year's event is the most important.

- Raise money: Sign up here to spread the word to friends and family about how they too can support Joppa Flats. Just click on the Join Team link at the top of the right-hand column on this page.

- Count birds: This year the competition, like just about everything else, has had to change due to COVID-19. See below for more information on this year's carbon-free, safety-focused "Bird-at-home-a-thon."

We look forward to taking a day out of this unusual time to share our love of birds and nature together. We hope very much that you are well and can join us by helping to support Joppa Flats, Mass Audubon, and our mission of protecting nature in Massachusetts. We are grateful for your participation, no matter how it comes our way. Thank you for your support!

This year, anyone who would like to be included in birding for Joppa Flats during Bird-a-thon, no matter where you are, is invitedto BirdinPlace (BIP). This means you will bird at your home, or within easy walking distance, and submit a list of the species you've seen (we'll let you know how to do that closer to the day of the event). To become a Joppa "Bipper," please sign up by sending an email to Melissa Vokey, mvokey@massaudubon.org. Include your name, mailing address, phone number, and the names and ages (for children) of anyone who will be bipping with you. We can take last-minute registrations to "bip" until noon on Friday, May 15. A complete list of this year's rules will be sent to you before May 15.

When Bird-a-thon concludes on May 16 at 6:00 pm, we hope to host an online event for all our "Bippers" and team fundraisers to celebrate this special spring, the joy of migration, and the welcome financial support that Bird-a-thon raises to keep us going.